Desk attachment



H. F. VAUGHAN. DESK ATTACHMENT. APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 30, |92!- Patenfted Oct. 241, T922..

- Mam univer r. venetian, or Wasi-irriteren, nrsrnrcr or oonunrnra.

DESK A'lTACI-UVIJENT.

Application filed September 30, 1921. Serial No. 504,432.

To @ZZ whom it may conce/m Bey it known that l, HENRY l?. VAUGHAN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Washington, in the District ot Columbia, have invented certain new and useful improvements in Desk Attachments; and l do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description o'l the i invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

IThis invention relates to new and useful improvements in desk attachments and more particularly to an extension top for use on roll top desks, vthe main object being the provision cfa movable top section which normally rests upon the main top of the desk but can be readily moved to the roll top portion of the desk when it is desired to extend the fiat orstationary portion of the top of the desk, the main object of the invention beingthe provision of an extension member of this character which can be quickly and readily placed in position upon the curved side portions of a roll top desk y and seated on the curved side portions and arranged lush with the stationary i'lat top of the desk to provide greater surface on the extreme top or' the desk.

ln the use of desks of the above type, an occasion otttimes arises when a person de-y sires an additional space for use and preferably to be used while standing and as the stationary flat portion of the desk is some* whatout of reach `oi* a person using the desk, my improved attachment provides an extension continuouswith the regular stationary top portion oi the desk which ex 'tends out over the roll top portion oi? the desk and so positioned as to afford co.n venience to the user whilestanding at the desk. This attachment affords great con venience to the user of the desk should a matter arise which had to be looked into immediately and wherein considerable space would be required for displaying the matter in hand and wherein the user ot the desk has already arranged upon the main portion of the deskwithin the sides, several important papers or matters which he would not care todisturb and he can therefore, arrange the attachment in its relative operative position continuous with the fiat stationary top of the desk and be provided with additional space whereupon to take'up any limportant matters which might arise while he is working on other matters in the main portion oi the desk.

Another object oiI this invention is the provision ot a desk attachment which when ce not 1n use, normally rests upon the ilat stationary top oi the desk and can be quickly and readily removed therefrom and placed in an operative position. upon the curved side rails cia roll top desk whereby to pro-` vide additional surface for the operator conf tinuous with the main flat top oi' the desk.

A further object ci the invention is the provision of means whereby this extension or `attachment may be quickly and readily movedfrom its inoperative position to an operative position with very little effort on thepart of the operator.

With the above and other objects in view, the invention consists in the novel features at construction, combination and arrangement ot' parts hereinafter more fully set -forth, pointed out in the 'claims and shown in the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure l is a perspective view of a roll top desk illustrating myV improved attach` ment in position, parts of the same being broken away to illustrate the means for holding the attachment in place;

FiggQ is an end elevation, parts oi the S5 same being` broken away and shown in cross secion and illustrating a slightly. modified torni of the invention, and Y `Fig. 3 is an end elevation illustrating an-' other iorm of the invention as applied to a different type of desk. A*

In carrying out my invention, it is to be understood that in the mainA i'orm oi the invention the device is used on the well known shape of roll top desk in use at the present time and in Fig. l, l have illustrated the attachment applied to the 'desk and in its operative position. In Fig. l, the numeral `1 indicates the main body of the desk provided with the usual desk top 2 100 having mounted thereon the end portions 3., the upper faces of which are provided with a flat surface at one end upon which `the top 4 of the upright portion of the desk is mounted, the top t being permanently sev cured to the end portions 3. y A

The end portions 3 of the upper part of the desk are provided upon theirinner faces with the usual guide grooves 5 in which the flexible topl 6 moves, the ends of this top 110 6 being disposed within the grooves 5 and adapted to he moved downwardly to enclose the upper portion of the desk or to be moved backwardly into the body portion of the desk when it is desired to use the main top 2. The extension top comprises the main body platform 7 having attached to one face thereof and at each end the supporting blocks 8, said blocks having their under face curved to conform to the curvature of the end portions 3 so that when these blocks restv upon the upper edge of the curved portions of the ends 3 the main body portion 7 will be arranged flush with the stationary top member 4, thus forming a continuation. of the vstationary top member 4.

In order to retain the extension member 7 in its proper relative position with respect to the stationary portion 4, suitable cleats 9 are attached to the inner sides of the blocks 8,.the lowerl edges of said cleats projecting beyond the lower faces of the blocks and are adapted to bind against the upper edges of the end portions 3 upon the inner face thereof and from this it will bev apparent that the cleats 9 will frictionally engage the inner faces of the end portions 3 and retain the body portion 7 of the attachment against movement. These cleats 9 are preferably secured at a point adjacent the inner edge of the member 7 sov that the ends `thereof will abut .against the inner edge of the top member 4, the lower edge of the cleats 2: 9 extending downwardly onto the inner faces of the end portions 3 and frictionally engaging therewith. From this it will be apparent that when the extension member 7 is in its operative position as shown in Fig. l, it forms a continuation of the main top member 4 which can be used as a working surface for the accommodation of the person using the desk when they wish to stand and when it is desired to have further additional surface to work upon other than the main top member 4 and also at times when an important matter arises and the user of the desk should, on that occasion, have the top portion 2 of the desk already in use with other matters, they can readily use the extension member 7 while in a standing position and take care of any. im-

portant matter which might turn up unexpectedly or when it is desired to utilize a large flat surface for the display of drawings or the like and the top portion 4 of the desk is not sutliciently large to accommodate the matter.

en not in use the extension member 7 is placed back upon the main top portion '4 and rests thereon. From the accompanying drawings, as shown in Fig. l, this eX- tension member 7 is so nearly the same size as the main top portion 4 so that when the extension is not in use, it will readily rest in position upon the top portion 4, but when it is desired to use the same, the same can be moved forwardly from the top portion l until the blocks S rest upon the curved portions of the ends 3 and by suiiicient pressure upon the top of the body 7 of the extension, the cleats 9 can be forced downwardly into engagement with the inner faces of the end portions 3 to frictionally retain the extension top in its proper relative position with respect to the top portion 4.

In Fig. 2, I have illustrated a slightly modilied form of the inif'ention and nfherein the extension top 7 is shown in fnll lines in an operative position, the cleat il living shown as frictionaliy engaging the inner face. of one of the end portions 3 while `the block S rests upon the upper ein-ved snrlin-e of the end portion 3. In this forni ol the invention, it is preferred to have the inner edge of the extension 7 hingedly connected to the inner edge of the desk top 4. ltwill be noted in Fig. 2 that the hinge l0 connects the extension top member 7 with the inner edge of the top portion 4 so that when it is desired to move the extension .member 7 to its operative position, it can he readil)v folded back onto the top portion 4 out oi' the way or should it be desired to use the extension top, it can be readily moved into position from its normal resting place. portion 4 as shown in dotted lines in Fig. 2.

In Fig. 3, I have illustrated still another form of the invention and in this form, the device is shown as used upon a roll top desk wherein the end port-ions are curved to di tferent degrees and in this form, the extension top 7a is supported at its outer end by means of an arm ll, the inner end of which is pivotally mounted upon a pivot pin l2 in the end portion 3a and pivotally connected to the extension top 7 as shown at 13. In this form of the invention, the cleats 9 used in the main form of the invention may be used or eliminated as desired. In order to support the arm l1 in its proper position to nti-- lize the same for supporting the outer edge of the extension member 7, a stop pin 14 carried by the end portion 3a forming a rest for the arm 1l whereby the outer edge of the extension top 7l will be readily supported in its proper extended position.

In Fig. 3 I have also illustrated the device in an inoperative position in dotted lines and it will be apparent that in order to prevent the extension top 7a from being moved rearwardly beyond the rear edge of the top portion 4a a stop pin l5 is provided to liinitrthe swinging movement of the arm ll so that when the extension member 7 is moved to an inoperative position. the inner edge of the same is lifted slightly until it willn pass the adjacent edge of the top portion 4". The arms l1, it being` understood that one arm is used at each end of the desk, are moved upon their pivots to the dotted line position illusupon the top il (l insane() vvill be readily apparent that I have provided y that of the cleats 9 which are carried by the a simple and inexpensive device of the above type Which can be quickly and readily fitted toany Well knoWn make of roll top desk in use atthe present time and which after fitted into its operative position, will be securely retained in that position Without the use of hooks, bolt members or any other' similar fastening device, the only fastening used being end blocks 8 for frictional engagement with the inner faces of the end portions 3. The device in its construction isl comparatively light in Weight and can be quickly and read ily arranged in an operative position or removed to its inoperative position on the top of the upright position of the desk.

I claim:

1. In a desk having upright end portions having a flat upper face at one end and a curved surface at the other end, and a stationary top piece secured upon the flat surfaces,

a removable platform, bearing members secured to the under face of said platform at each end and provided With curved surfaces to comate with the curvature of the end pieces and means carried by the platform to frictionally engage the end pieces in retaining the platform in position upon the curved surfaces of the end pieces.

2. In a desk having end portions, a stationary top member secured to the upper faces of said end portions at one of their ends, and curved surfaces formed upon the upper faces of the other ends of said end portions, a removable top section1 Abearingl members carried by the movable top section, curved faces upon said bearing members to comate with the curved surfaces of the end portions and cleats carried by the bearing,I members havingl their lower edges projecting belovv the bearing` members and adapted to fric tionally engage the inner faces of the end portions when the movable top section is ar ranged in position upon the curved surfaces and in alignment With the stationary top portion to prevent movement of the removable top section.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature.

HENRY F. VAIIGIIAN. 

